Attachment device for an inflatable protective cushion

ABSTRACT

An inflatable cushion assembly for use with an inflator comprises an inflatable cushion having an inner surface, outer surface, and at least one protrusion extending from one of the inner or outer surfaces. The inflatable cushion defines an opening between the inner surface and the outer surface for receiving the inflator. An attachment member contacts the one of the inner or outer surfaces adjacent the opening and includes a groove for receiving the protrusion, the attachment member securing the inflator within the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention was made with the support of the United States Governmentunder Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000, awarded by the Department ofEnergy. The United States Government has certain rights in theinvention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to attachment hardware for inflatableprotective cushions, and provides an apparatus particularly useful in anairbag for protecting passengers in automotive vehicles. The presentinvention would also be useful in many types of transportation vehicles,as well as machinery, as a protective device that can be storedcompactly.

Inflatable protective cushions used in passenger vehicles are acomponent of relatively complex systems. The main elements of thesesystems are: an impact sensing system, an inflation system, apropellant, an attachment device, a system enclosure, and an inflatableprotective cushion. Upon sensing an impact, the inflation system causesthe propellant to fill the cushion to a deployed state which can absorbthe impact of the forward movement of a body and dissipate its energy bymeans of rapid venting of the gas. The deployment sequence occurs withinabout 30 milliseconds, with the occupant decelerating about 50milliseconds later. The maximum pressure occurring in the cushion in theinflation event is about 4 psi and increases to about 7-9 psi whenimpacted by a person. In the un-deployed state, the cushion is stored inor near the steering column, the dashboard, in a door, or in the back orside of a seat, placing the cushion in close proximity to the person itis to protect.

To provide efficient storage and adequate protection, it is advantageousto have an inflatable protective cushion that has a small volume whennot deployed permitting compact storage, low permeability permittingfast inflation, and strength for withstanding inflation pressure andabsorbing the impact of a person or an object.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,431 discloses an airbag inflator assembly includingan inflator, an inflatable cushion, a support plate, and a retainer. Inthis assembly, the retainer includes a flange extending radially fromthe cylindrical inflator. The cushion is mounted to the inflator bysecuring it between the flange and the support plate using fasteners.The flange and support plate are planar over the portions which grip thecushion. Stitching that holds various pieces of the cushion togetherextends circularly around the inflator and is pressed between thesupport plate and the flange.

One problem with such assemblies is that, during inflation, the cushionmight tear or shear at high stress areas around the inflation opening.The high stress areas can be caused, for example, by the cushion'sgeometry or by the location of holes in the cushion for receivingfasteners. Furthermore, the substantially planar attachment hardwaredoes not distribute stresses uniformly enough throughout the grippedportion of the fabric during deployment, further contributing to thedevelopment of high stress areas. Tearing at these high stress areasduring deployment can cause the cushion to provide insufficientresistance to inflation pressure as well as pressure created by thecontact of a person or object to the cushion, and could lead to injury.

Another problem with the assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,431 is thatpart of the seams of the cushion are held between the planar flange andsupport plate of the attachment hardware, leading to an uneven grippingof the fabric. The seams being thicker than the rest of the cushion, aregripped much more tightly than the rest, thereby leading to stressconcentrations at the seams during deployment and potential failure. Asthe seams include multiple folded layers of cushion material, the unevengripping is accentuated even more.

In some cushions, seams extend across the attachment hardware from thegripped portion to the ungripped (inflatable) portion. One problem withsuch a cushion, evident when the cushion is inflated, is the creation ofa transition in the orientation of the seam between the portion rigidlysecured by the attachment hardware and the inflated part of the seam.This transition, located radially just outside of the attachmenthardware, induces an undesirable stress concentration in the cushionduring inflation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objects of the present invention are to provide a low costinflatable protective device with a cushion and attachment hardware ofsimple and structurally efficient design with a shape and constructionthat optimizes the cushion's ability to withstand inflation pressure andimpact when deployed and which distributes inflation-induced stresses inthe cushion.

To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of theinvention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the inventionincludes an inflatable cushion assembly for use with an inflator, theassembly including an inflatable cushion having an inner surface, anouter surface, and at least one protrusion extending from one of theinner or outer surfaces. The inflatable cushion defines an openingbetween the inner surface and the outer surface for receiving theinflator. An attachment member contacts one of the inner or outersurfaces adjacent the opening and includes a groove for receiving theprotrusion, the attachment member securing the inflator within theopening.

In another aspect, the invention includes an inflatable cushion assemblyincluding a tray and an inflatable cushion secured to the tray, thecushion having an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least oneprotrusion extending from one of the inner or outer surfaces. Theinflatable cushion defines an opening between the inner surface and theouter surface. An attachment assembly contacts the one of the inner orouter surfaces for securing the inflatable cushion to the tray, andincludes means for receiving the protrusion.

Still another aspect of the invention includes an assembly for mountingan inflatable cushion to a mounting surface, the inflatable cushionhaving an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one protrusionextending from one of the inner or outer surfaces, the inflatablecushion defining an opening between the inner surface and the outersurface. The assembly includes an inflator extending through the openingfor inflating the inflatable cushion and an attachment member integralwith and extending from the inflator, and contacting the one of theinner or outer surfaces adjacent the opening. The attachment memberincludes a groove for receiving the protrusion. Connection memberssecure the attachment member and the inflatable cushion to the mountingsurface.

Another aspect of the invention includes an inflatable cushion assemblyfor use with an inflator, the assembly including an inflatable cushionhaving an inner surface and an outer surface, and defining an openingbetween the inner surface and the outer surface for receiving theinflator. An attachment member includes a nonplanar contact surface forcontacting a portion of one of the inner or outer surfaces adjacent theopening, the attachment member for securing the inflator within theopening.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained bymeans of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims as well as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention showing an inflatable cushion and an attachment assembly.

FIG. 2 is bottom view of an inflatable cushion suitable for use with thedevices of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a possible construction of aseam of the inflatable cushion shown in FIG. 1 in an uninflatedcondition.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 2 inan inflated condition.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an attachment member of the attachmentassembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, takenalong a different line than in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 2secured by a collar having a T-shaped groove.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view of another possible constructionof a seam of the inflatable cushion shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 8secured by a collar having a U-shaped groove.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic sectional view of another possibleconstruction of a seam of the inflatable cushion shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 10secured by a collar having a channel-shaped groove.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 8secured by a collar and a resilient member.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the seam shown in FIG. 2secured by a collar and a resilient member having a T-shaped groove.

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a portion of the inflatablecushion shown in FIG. 1 mounted between rippled surfaces of rigidmembers.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a portion of the inflatablecushion shown in FIG. 1 mounted between rippled surfaces of resilientmembers secured between rigid members.

FIG. 16 is a top view of an attachment member according to an alternateembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the attachment member shown in FIG. 16taken along line 17--17.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention incorporating the attachment member of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a top view of an attachment member according to anotheralternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the attachment member shown in FIG. 19taken along line 20--20.

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention incorporating the attachment members of FIGS. 16 and 19.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of yet another alternate embodiment of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in FIGS.1-22. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention includesan inflatable cushion assembly 10 including an inflatable cushion 12secured to an attachment assembly 14. The attachment assembly 14 issecured to a housing 16, and thus secures the cushion 12 to the housing.The housing 16 may be, for example, a portion of a vehicle such as asteering wheel, a dashboard, a seat, a door, or some other surface. Aninflator 18 is provided for inflating the cushion 12 upon receiving anelectrical signal via electrical connectors 20, as is well known in theart.

The cushion 12 includes an inner surface 22, an outer surface 24, and anopening 26 for receiving the inflator 18. The inner surface 22 defines acavity 28, shown in FIG. 1 in an inflated condition.

When the inflatable cushion 12 is secured within the housing 16, varioustypes of protrusions may be present on the cushion. For example,protrusions such as seams 30 sewn into the cushion material to join thematerial into the cushion 12 may extend from either surface of thecushion. As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion 12 preferably has seams 30extending radially from the opening 26 that receives the inflator 18.Such an air cushion is disclosed in U.S. patent app. Ser. No.08/872,471, filed Jun. 28, 1993, owned by applicants' assignee andincorporated by reference herein. As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion 12 isformed from a single piece of substantially square fabric joinedtogether along seams 30 by stitching 34. The cushion 12 includes fourseams 30 joining together four edges 32 of the fabric and terminating atthe opening 26, around which attachment hardware is connected. The seams30 and stitching 34 may extend from either the inner or outer surface ofthe cushion 12.

The shape of the fabric used to make the cushion 12 (that is, before theedges 32 are secured by the seams 30) is shown in dotted lines in FIG.2. The substantially square shape of the unfolded cushion 12 avoids thewasting of cushion material during manufacture of the cushion. However,it should be understood that the shape of the cushion fabric need not besquare within the scope of the present invention. For example, theunfolded cushion 12 may be substantially triangular, pentagonal,hexagonal, or irregularly-shaped. Also, the cushion may be constructedfrom multiple pieces of fabric within the scope of the presentinvention.

The cushion is preferably constructed of a woven fabric having low airpermeability, and having sufficient tensile strength, tear strength, andburst strength to be inflated rapidly to the desired inflation pressurewhile withstanding impact from a person or other object to be protected.Any of the lightweight fabrics set forth in U.S. patent app. Ser. No.08/872,471 may be employed within the scope of the invention, as well asheavier fabrics.

The seams 30 are preferably located on the inner surface 22 of thecushion 12 and thereby protrude from the inner surface to formprotrusions. This construction allows the cushion to have a smooth outersurface, thereby minimizing the potential for an abrasive injury to aperson during inflation. However, the seams may also extend from theouter surface 24, within the scope of the invention. The seams 30 may beformed by sewing the edges 32 together in zig-zag stitches using thread34 made of nylon. As will be described below, various types of seams 30or thread 34 made of the materials are acceptable. The seams 30 may bereinforced with tape or adhesive, or by heat sealing. U.S. patent app.Ser. No. 08/872,471 sets forth various methods of joining edges 32 ofthe cushion which can be employed within the scope of the invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a typical protrusion extending from the cushion inthe form of seam 30, in which two portions 12a, 12b of a cushion 12 arejoined by stitching 34. FIG. 3 shows the seam 30 in a relaxed(uninflated) state, while FIG. 4 shows the seam in an inflated state. Ascan be seen, during inflation the seam 30 expands stretching theportions 12a, 12b taut.

Other protrusions which could extend from the cushion 12 includegathered portions of cushion material, such as folded portions, bunchedportions, multiple layered portions, or other nonplanar or discontinuousportions of the cushion. Some protrusions (other than seams) are createdwhen the cushion is assembled or installed into the attachment hardware.Thus, some protrusions are caused by the manufacture of the cushion, andothers are caused by the installation of the cushion in the attachmentassembly. Preferably, the attachment assemblies of the variousembodiments of the present inventions can be used with cushions havingall types of protrusions.

In accordance with the invention, the attachment assembly 14 includes anattachment member for securing the inflatable cushion 12 to theattachment assembly. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the attachment membermay be a collar 36 having an opening 38 substantially equal in size tothe opening 26 in the cushion 12 for receiving the inflator 18. Thecollar 36 is preferably a rigid member, and may be an annular ring, asshown. The term "rigid" is used herein to describe the stiff element(collar 36 in FIG. 1) of the attachment hardware that distributes forcearound the opening in the inflatable cushion. The collar 36 may be madeof metal such as 6061 grade aluminum or 2024 grade aluminum for largerapplications, and may be formed by stamping, forging, or milling.Alternately, the collar 36 may be made of plastic such as nylon orTorlon®, made by Amoco, and may be formed by injection molding andmilling. Making the cushion 12 and collar 36 out of the same material,such as a plastic, improves the recyclability of the device by reducingthe number of components that must be disassembled. Also, other parts ofthe assembly may also be made of plastic to further improverecyclability. If the collar 36 is made of plastic, it may be joined tothe cushion 12 by nuts and bolts made of the same material.

The attachment assembly 14 may preferably include a tray 42 for holdingthe cushion 12 in an uninflated and folded state. That is, before thecushion 12 is inflated, it is folded up compactly and held between thetray 42 and a cover (not shown) detachably secured to the tray. When theinflator 18 inflates the cushion 12, the cover is opened by the force ofthe gases entering the cushion. The tray 42 has an opening 44substantially the same size as the openings in the cushion 12 and thecollar 36 for receiving the inflator 18. The tray 42 may be formed ofplastic or metal.

The attachment assembly 14 may also preferably include a retainingmember which cooperates with the attachment member to secure the cushion12 to the inflator 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the retaining member is arigid flange 46 extending from the inflator 18. Preferably, the flange46 is formed of a metal, and it may be made of the same material as thecollar 36 if desired. The flange 46 may be secured to the inflator 18 inany known fashion so as to form an integral unit. For example, theflange 46 may be secured to the inflator 18 by bolts, rivets, crimping,molding, welding etc. The flange 46 shown in FIG. 1 has a planar uppersurface for contacting the underside of the tray 42.

The attachment assembly 14 may also preferably include connectionmembers for securing various elements of the claimed invention together.For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the connection members may includerivets 60 securing together the collar 36, the cushion 12, and the tray42. The rivets 60 extend through holes (62, 64 and 66, respectively) tothereby join the collar 36, cushion 12, and tray 42 into a single unit,which permits an efficient assembly process, as will be described below.

As shown in the right-hand side of FIG. 6, the flange 46 of the inflator18 is preferably not secured by the rivets 60. A recessed portion 68 isprovided on that part of the flange 46 for avoiding contact between theflange and the head of rivet 60 to thereby allow the flange to snuglyengage the tray 42. Alternately, as shown in the left-hand side of FIG.6, a bent portion 70 may be provided in the flange 46 for avoiding thehead of the rivet 60. Another alternative structure (not shown), wouldbe a counterbore in the hole 66 in the tray 42 having a depth sufficientto receive the head of the rivet 60, thereby avoiding the need toprovide the recessed and bent portions 68, 70 on the inflator flange 46.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connection members may also include bolts 48extending through holes (50, 52, 54, and 56 respectively) in the collar36, the cushion 12, the tray 42, and the flange 46. The bolts 48 may bethreaded partially into the collar 36, as shown in FIG. 1, or they mayextend entirely through the collar (not shown). The shown arrangement ispreferred for ease of assembly, as will be described below. Nuts 58threaded onto ends of the bolts 48 secure the cushion 12, the tray 42,and the collar 36 to the inflator flange 46 when tightened. Therefore,tightening the nuts 58 provides a unitary assembly including the cushion12, inflator 18, and tray 42, which assembly can be readily installedonto the desired housing 16. Additional connection members such asbolts, rivets, or some other fastener, (not shown) can be providedthrough holes 72, 74, in the tray 42 and housing 16, respectively, tosecure the unitary assembly to the housing.

It should be understood that the connection members need not comprisethe specific bolts 48 and rivets 60 described above. Other types ofconnectors could be substituted. For example, tabs, clips, or clampscould be used, so long as they are sufficiently strong to secure thevarious elements together during manufacture, installation, andespecially inflation.

Further, if desired, the rivets 60 (or alternate fasteners) may bedeleted. In such an arrangement, the bolts 48 and nuts 58 securetogether the collar 36, the cushion 12, the tray 42 and the inflatorflange 46, as above. However, in this alternative, as soon as thecushion 12 is attached to the tray 42, the inflator 18 is also attached.This attachment sequence may be undesirable for logistical reasonsduring manufacture, or to avoid damage to the sensitive inflator 18during manufacture or shipping.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the collar 36 includes at least one groove 40for receiving a protrusion, such as the seam 30 or a gather protrudingfrom one of the inner or outer surfaces 22 or 24 of the cushion 12. Asshown in FIG. 5, four grooves 40 are formed in the collar 36, eachgroove for receiving one of the

The grooves 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 can be sized substantially largerthan the seams 30 (if the grooves are to receive protrusions in the formof seams), for ease of installation. For example, a typical seam for a45×100 denier fabric is 1/12 inches wide and 3/8 inches high. Thedimensions of a "wide-groove" for receiving for such a seam wouldpreferably be 1/8 inches wide by 1/2 inches deep. Thus, preferably thegroove 40 is approximately 1/24 inches wider than the seam 30 and 1/8inches deeper than the seam.

Using such a "wide-groove" structure allows the seams 30 to be readilyplaced within the grooves 40 during manufacture. For example, there aretwo manufacturing tolerances associated with seams that can be accountedfor by using a wide-groove structure. First, there is a tolerance in thewidth of a seam, and second there is a tolerance as to the location of aseam on the cushion (i.e., seam-to-seam spacing). The use of widegrooves allows the seams to be readily fitted within the grooves, evenif the seam size or location varies from the optimum.

However, it is also possible to size the grooves 40 just larger than theseams 30 to provide a more secure fit of the seam in the groove. The"narrow-groove" structure provides extremely tight gripping of thecushion material, and can be used in applications were such gripping isdesired. However, aligning the seams in a narrow groove can be moredifficult during manufacture. Thus, narrow grooves may perform slightlybetter than wide grooves, but wide grooves may provide slightly easierinstallation. Depending on the manufacturing process used andapplication envisioned, either type of groove may be employed, bothtypes will perform satisfactorily in most applications.

Alternate groove shapes are also possible. For example, within the scopeof the invention, the grooves for receiving the protrusions may haveshapes specifically tailored for receiving a certain type of protrusionand for gripping the portion of the protrusion within the groove in aninflated state. If the protrusion is a seam, the portion of the seaminside the groove is oriented so that, when the cushion is inflated andthe seams attain their inflated orientation, the discontinuity betweenthe inflated seam portion and the gripped seam portion is substantiallyeliminated. Such an arrangement avoids stress and shear concentrationspresent in the transition portion of prior art constructions where thegripped seam portions are not held in an inflated orientation.

One example of such an alternative, "tailored" groove shape is shown inFIG. 7, where the groove 40T formed in the collar 36 is substantiallyT-shaped for receiving a protrusion in the form of the seam 30. As shownin FIG. 7, the groove 40T is oriented with the T-shape upside-down.Preferably, the groove 40T is sized so as to hold the portion of seam 30within the groove in the inflated state shown in FIG. 4.

An alternate protrusion in the form of seam 30a formed by a "Serge"stitch is shown in FIG. 8. Seam 30a includes stitching 34 and a piece ofcloth reinforcement tape 35. Alternately, adhesive tape could besubstituted for the cloth tape 35. As shown in FIG. 9, a U-shaped groove40U (oriented with the U-shape upside-down) is provided in the collar 36for holding a portion of the seam 30a in its inflated state.

Another alternative protrusion in the form of seam 30b formed bytwo-pass layover stitching 34, 34a is shown in FIG. 10. A correspondingchannel-shaped groove 40C is provided in the collar 36 for holding aportion of this seam 30b in its inflated state, as shown in FIG. 11.

It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that thedimensions of the tailored grooves in the collar are dependent on thesize and shape of the chosen seam or gather present in the fabric, thefabric thickness, and the stitching type. Therefore, the presentinvention is not limited to the specific protrusion or groove typesdescribed herein. Furthermore, even if the "wide grooves" do not holdthe gripped portion of a seam in the inflated orientation, they stillhelp reduce seam discontinuity by allowing the portions of the seamwithin the attachment hardware to attain an inflated orientation duringinflation.

FIG. 12 shows an alternate arrangement to that of FIGS. 1-11 in whichthe attachment member that contacts the cushion 12 is a resilientannular member 80 that extends about the opening 26 of the cushion. Theresilient annular member 80 is preferably made of a flexible materialsuch as rubber, cork, plastic, nylon, a moldable material such aSilicone RTV, or a hardenable adhesive. In the embodiment of FIG. 12, aretaining member is also provided for securing the attachment member tothe assembly. The retaining member in the device of FIG. 12 is a collar36a. The protrusion shown is seam 30a, the same as in FIG. 8, and agroove 40D is formed in the resilient annular member 80 by contact withthe protrusion after the tightening of the connection members. Thus, atleast some of the connection members secure the collar 36a, theresilient annular member 80, and the cushion 12 together into a singleunit, thereby forming the groove 40D. As described above, this singleunit can be secured to an inflator and housing by additional connectionmembers (not shown). While the embodiments including rigid collars withgrooves can be more effective in providing relief of stressconcentration for certain cushion designs than the embodiment of FIG.12, the embodiment of FIG. 12 effectively provides some stressconcentration relief.

FIG. 13 shows an arrangement combining the teachings and benefits ofseveral of the previous embodiments. Namely, FIG. 13 shows a resilientattachment member 80a having a permanently-formed recessed groove 40T.The groove 40T in FIG. 14 is T-shaped. A collar 36a and connectionmembers (not shown) secure the resilient annular member 80a in place, asdescribed above. The arrangement of FIG. 14 can provide improved stressconcentration relief as compared to the arrangement of FIG. 12. Itshould be understood that the arrangements of FIGS. 12 and 13 may beemployed using any of the protrusion, seam, or gather types describedherein, or any others, within the scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 14-21 show other alternate arrangements for improving the securingof an inflatable cushion. In these arrangements, the attachment memberseach have a non-planar contact surface for contacting a portion of oneof the inner or outer surfaces of the cushion adjacent the opening. Asshown in FIG. 14, the attachment member is a rigid collar 36b thatopposes a tray 42b. A plurality of ridges 82 and 84, respectively, isprovided in the surface of the collar 36b and the surface of the tray42b. The ridges 82, 84 are sized to as to be interleaved with each otherwhen the attachment assembly 14 is assembled, thereby providingincreased surface area for contacting the cushion and securing it inplace. The ridges 82, 84 can be arranged in parallel or radiating fromthe center of the collar, and can cover all or part of the surfacescontacting the cushion. Use of the ridges is especially desirable inapplications where the cushion fabric is lightweight. Connection members(not shown) secure the collar 36b, cushion 12, and tray 42b together.

A variation of the arrangement of FIG. 14 is shown in FIG. 15, in whichresilient annular members 86, 88 are provided on either side of thecushion 12. The resilient annular members 86, 88 have interleaved ridges82 and 84, respectively. A collar 36a contacts one of the resilientannular members 86, and the other member 88 contacts the tray 42.Connection members (not shown) secure the collar 36a, the resilientannular members 86, 88, and the cushion 12 to the tray 42.

It should be kept in mind that the ridges of the embodiments of FIGS. 14and 15 may be utilized either in conjunction with the grooves describedabove or alone.

FIGS. 16-18 show one alternate embodiment of the present invention inwhich a non-planar contact surface is provided on the attachment memberfor contacting one of the inner or outer surfaces of the cushion. Asshown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the attachment member may be a collar 36cincluding a single convex ridge 90 running around the surface of thecollar to contact one of the inner or outer surfaces of the cushion.Holes 92 and grooves 94 are also provided, functioning as do the holesand grooves of the previous embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17,some of the holes 92 may be provided within the grooves 94. Thisarrangement further reduces the stresses on the cushion as it isinflated, and can be used in conjunction with the previous embodimentsas well.

If the attachment member includes a non-planar contact surface such as aridge, an indentation for matingly receiving the ridge should also beprovided. For example, FIG. 18 shows an assembly in which an indentation96 is provided in the tray 42 for matingly engaging the ridge 90 of thecollar 36c, with a portion of the cushion 12 therebetween. The device ofFIG. 18 is substantially similar to that of FIG. 1, except for the ridge90 and the indentation 96.

A second alternative embodiment including a non-planar contact surfaceopposing the non-planar attachment member contact surface appears inFIGS. 19-21. In this embodiment, a retaining member, separate from theflange provided on the inflator, contacts the cushion. As shown best inFIGS. 19 and 20, the retaining member is a rigid collar 36d that has aconcave indentation 98 for matingly engaging the ridge 90 in the othercollar 36c. Collar 36d has holes 100 for receiving connection members,as described above. As shown in FIG. 21, the collars 36c, 36d grip aportion of the cushion 12 around the opening 26. If desired, a groove(not shown) Or a raised portion (not shown) may be provided on the tray42 for seating the collar 36d.

As an alternative to the above embodiments, an assembly may be providedin which an inflator extends through an opening in a cushion, and anattachment member integral with the inflator extends from the inflatorto contact one of the inner or outer surfaces of the cushion adjacentthe opening. As broadly embodied in FIG. 22, the attachment member is aflange 110 extending from the inflator 18. The flange 110 differs fromthe flange 46 in the previous embodiments in that flange 110 is disposedinside of the cushion 12 to take the place of the collar 36. Such anarrangement uses fewer parts than the previously-described embodiments.

The embodiment of FIG. 22 also includes at least one groove 40 forreceiving a protrusion such as a seam 30 extending from the innersurface of the cushion, and connection members 48 for securing theflange 110 and cushion 12 to a mounting surface, such as a tray 42.Preferably, the groove is disposed in the attachment member, although,if desired, the groove could be disposed in the tray within the scope ofthe invention. The details of these elements are not discussed or shownin detail here, as they are substantially identical to those disclosedabove.

Further, as an option, the embodiment of FIG. 22 may also include theridges as in FIGS. 14 and 15, a single ridge and indention as in FIG.18, or a retaining member between the tray and cushion as in FIG. 21.Thus, the individual elements of the various embodiments may be combinedin various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

Another possible modification to the above embodiments includesproviding an attachment member having a rigid portion and a resilientportion. In this embodiment, a rigid retaining member and a resilientattachment member are combined into a single integral unit. Thus, therigid collar 36a and the resilient annular member 80a may be securedtogether, for example, by an adhesive or an epoxy. If the annular member80a is made thick, it will have high resilience. If it is made thin, itwill provide less resilience but high frictional gripping of thecushion. Alternatively, the resilient portion can be a resilientcoating, such as plastic or rubber, applied to the rigid attachmentmember to form the integral unit. It is also possible to substitute atextured collar surface, made for example by knurling, for the resilientportion to provide improved frictional gripping. These alternativesprovide improved performance along with simplified assembly, and any ofthese alternatives may be used with the various embodiments describedabove within the scope of the invention. For example, the resilientcoating may be employed on a convex or concave surface of a collar.

The design of the various embodiments disclosed herein simplifies theassembly and installation of the inflatable cushion. For example, in thedevice of FIG. 1, the cushion 12 is sewn together and the collar 36 isslipped through the opening 26 in the cushion. The bolts 48 extendingfrom the collar 36 are then slipped through the holes 52, 54 in thecushion 12 and tray 42, respectively. The rivets 60 are then insertedinto other holes 62, 64, and 66 in the cushion 12, tray 42, and flange46, respectively, to join these elements into one unit. Any protrusionsuch as seams or gathers extending from the cushion 12 should be alignedwith grooves 40, if present. The cover (not shown) may be mounted on thetray 42 at this point, providing an assembly that may be shipped forready installation with other elements.

When ready for installation, the inflator 18 is placed through theopening 26 in the cushion 12, with the ends of the bolts 48 fitting intothe holes in the inflator flange 46. The nuts 58 are then placed on thebolts 48 and tightened, securing the inflator 18 to the underside of thetray 42. The electrical connectors 20 are connected to the wires thatsignal the inflator 18 to inflate. The tray 42 is then secured to thehousing 16, completing installation of the cushion assembly.Alternately, if desired, the assembly may be shipped for remote assemblyafter the step of securing the inflator 18.

As mentioned above, the rivets 60 need not be used to install thecushion 12. If not, then the collar 36 is secured to the cushion 12 andtray 42 when the nuts 58 are tightened on the bolts 48, thereby alsosecuring the inflator 18 to the other elements.

If a resilient annular member 80, or members 86, 88, or collar 36d areto be installed, they are secured to the assembly by the rivets orbolts.

Also, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the stressdistribution benefits of the present invention may be practiced whetherthe protrusions, seams, or gathers of the inflatable cushion aredisposed on the inner surface 22 or the outer surface 24 of the cushion.For example, grooves for receiving the protrusions may be disposed onthe element opposing the one of the inner or outer surfaces from whichthe seams extend. This opposing element may be the attachment member,the tray, or the flange on the inflator. Similarly, the resilientattachment member, if used, should be disposed so that it opposes thesurface from which the protrusion extend. Therefore, although applicantshave set forth numerous alternative embodiments of the presentinvention, the present invention is not limited only to thoseembodiments, but extends to alternatives employing the scope and spiritof the invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inflatable cushion assembly for use with aninflator, the assembly comprising:an inflatable cushion having an innersurface, an outer surface, and at least one seam or gather extendingfrom one of the inner or outer surfaces, the inflatable cushion definingan opening between the inner surface and the outer surface for receivingthe inflator; and an attachment member contacting one of the inner orouter surfaces adjacent the opening and including a groove extendingsubstantially in the radial direction for receiving the seam or gather,the attachment member securing the inflator within the opening.
 2. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein the cushion includes a plurality of seamsor gathers, and the attachment member includes a plurality of grooves,each groove for receiving one of the seams or gathers.
 3. The assemblyof claim 1, wherein the groove is T-shaped.
 4. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the groove is U-shaped.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein thegroove is channel-shaped.
 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein theattachment member is rigid and extends about the opening.
 7. Theassembly of claim 6, wherein the attachment member is made of metal. 8.The assembly of claim 6, wherein the attachment member is made ofplastic.
 9. The assembly of claim 1, further including a rigid retainingmember, the attachment member being resilient and being disposed betweenthe retaining member and a portion of the inflatable cushion, the groovebeing permanently formed in the attachment member.
 10. The assembly ofclaim 1, further including a rigid retaining member, the attachmentmember being resilient and being disposed between the retaining memberand a portion of the inflatable cushion, the groove being formed in theattachment member via contact with the seam or gather.
 11. The assemblyof claim 1, further including a rigid retaining member, a portion of theinflatable cushion being disposed between the attachment member and theretaining member, the attachment member being rigid.
 12. The assembly ofclaim 1, further including connection members for securing theattachment member to the inflatable cushion.
 13. The assembly of claim1, further including a tray, a portion of the inflatable cushion beingdisposed between the attachment member and the tray, the attachmentmember being rigid.
 14. The assembly of claim 1, further including atray, a portion of the inflatable cushion being disposed between theattachment member and the tray, the attachment member being resilient.15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the attachment member includes aconvex surface contacting the one of the inner or outer surfaces of theinflatable cushion, and the tray includes a concave surface contactingthe other of the inner or outer surfaces of the inflatable cushion, theconvex and concave surfaces cooperating to grip the cushiontherebetween.
 16. The assembly of claim 13, including connection membersfor securing together the attachment member, the inflatable cushion, andthe tray.
 17. The assembly of claim 13, further including an inflatorsecured to the tray for inflating the inflatable cushion via theopening.
 18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the inflator includes aflange, and further including connection members for securing togetherthe attachment member, the inflatable cushion, the tray, and the flange.19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein certain of the connection memberssecure together the attachment member, the inflatable cushion, and thetray, and others of the connection members secure together theattachment member, the inflatable cushion, the tray, and the flange. 20.The assembly of claim 11, wherein the attachment member includes aconvex surface contacting the one of the inner or outer surfaces of theinflatable cushion, and the retaining member includes a concave surfacecontacting the other of the inner or outer surfaces of the inflatablecushion, the convex and concave surfaces cooperating to grip a portionof the inflatable cushion therebetween.
 21. The assembly of claim 11,wherein the attachment member includes a nonplanar surface contactingthe one of the inner or outer surfaces of the inflatable cushion, andthe retaining member includes a nonplanar surface contacting the otherof the inner or outer surfaces of the inflatable cushion, the nonplanarsurfaces matingly engaging each other to grip a portion of theinflatable cushion therebetween.
 22. The assembly of claim 1, whereinthe attachment member includes a rigid portion and a resilient portion,the resilient portion contacting one of the inner or outer surfaces ofthe inflatable cushion.
 23. An inflatable cushion assembly comprising:atray; an inflatable cushion secured to the tray and having an innersurface, an outer surface, and at least one seam or gather extendingfrom one of the inner or outer surfaces, the inflatable cushion definingan opening between the inner surface and the outer surface; and anattachment assembly contacting the inflatable cushion for securing theinflatable cushion to the tray, and including means for receiving theseam or gather in a substantially radial direction.
 24. The assembly ofclaim 23, wherein the attachment assembly includes an attachment member,and the receiving means includes a groove formed in the attachmentmember.
 25. The assembly of claim 23, further including connectionmembers for securing together the attachment assembly, the inflatablecushion, and the tray.
 26. An assembly for mounting an inflatablecushion to a mounting surface, the inflatable cushion having an innersurface, an outer surface, and at least one seam or gather extendingfrom one of the inner or outer surfaces, the inflatable cushion definingan opening between the inner surface and the outer surface, the assemblycomprising:an inflator extending through the opening for inflating theinflatable cushion; an attachment member integral with and extendingfrom the inflator and contacting the one of the inner or outer surfacesadjacent the opening, the attachment member including a groove extendingsubstantially in the radial direction for receiving the seam or gather;and connection members for securing the attachment member and theinflatable cushion to the mounting surface.
 27. The assembly of claim26, wherein the attachment member is rigid, the assembly furtherincluding a rigid retaining member, a portion of the inflatable cushionbeing disposed between the attachment member and the retaining member.28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the attachment member includes anonplanar surface contacting the one of the inner or outer surfaces ofthe inflatable cushion, and the retaining member includes a nonplanarsurface contacting the other of the inner or outer surfaces of theinflatable cushion, the nonplanar surfaces cooperating to grip a portionof the inflatable cushion therebetween.